Young Man in America

Anaïs Mitchell | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 28, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thirty Tigers
• ASIN: B006X08FEO
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,794 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wilderland

2. Young Man in America

3. Coming Down

4. Dyin Day

5. Venus

6. He Did

7. Annmarie

8. Tailor

9. Shepherd

10. You are Forgiven

11. Ships

Editorial Reviews

Anais Mitchell is not a man. She s a woman, quick to laugh and to cry, a fan of Jane Austen and miniskirts. So it may catch a few listeners off-guard when Mitchell cries out, in the opening sequence of her latest album, 'I m a young man!' And it may come as a surprise when, over the course of eleven songs, she seems to be channeling spirits from the Old Testament to modern America - but mostly, well, from the Y chromosome.

Taking on voices other than her own is not exactly new for Mitchell. In 2010 Righteous Babe Records released the recorded version of her folk opera 'Hadestown' , a modern retelling of the Orpheus myth, featuring guest singers Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Ani Difranco and Greg Brown. The album became something of a critical phenomenon in the UK, making 'Best of 2010' lists in the Guardian, Sunday Times and Observer, thanks in part to the skillful production of Todd Sickafoose, who also produced and arranged Young Man.

Mitchell is as interested in the world around her as the one inside her. She has a way of tackling big themes with the same emotional intimacy most artists use to describe their inner lives. 'The emotions are my own,' says Mitchell. 'As for the Young Man, he s in me too, I feel his restlessness a lot. He s a part of me like my dad s old book or like something an old lover said one time. Those parts of ourselves that haunt us, sometimes we have to appease them with an offering of food and wine so they ll quit haunting us for a while. This album is that kind of offering.'

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is Anais for Anais fans! February 28, 2012

By Bo Zimmerman

Format:Audio CD

If you are a fan of Anais Mitchell's warm and unique vocal style, this is the album you've been waiting for. From song to production quality, it is completely top notch. I can't emphasize this last point enough. Some of her older albums have felt constrained-- missing much of the emotion and vocal nuance found in her live performances. "Young Man in America", however, finds her at her best.

After her previous album, I'm sure some of her fans were really curious which direction she would go in with new material. I can tell you that most of it sits firmly in the tradition of her other albums, while the balance seems to be experimental steps in different musical directions than we've heard from her in the past. "Tailor" is so simultaneously heavy and whimsical in tone that you won't know whether to tap your foot or furrow your brow. "Shephard" is deeply moving: once I recovered, I wasn't sure what to take away -- I still don't. "Venus" made me fall over backwards from the first chord -- that's right CHORD -- Anais really rocks this song of independence and love.

This is amazing stuff, which will make it that much harder to wait for her local tour stop.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A simple and powerful album February 28, 2012

By AugustBandit

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This album is a little difficult to place. It is a complex tapestry of ideas and themes that blend into something both compelling and complex. Take for instance, the first track- Wilderland. It sets the tenor for the rest of the album and it is a moody piece. "Look upon your children wandrin' in the Wilderland, look upon your children wandrin' in the woods". This is not the same quiet message of her earlier albums like "The Brightness", but something more desperate. It speaks of an America where things are just a little harder. The title track's imploring "Daddy, daddy, I wish you'd never had me" is emblematic. This isn't to say the whole album is moody, there are tracks like "Venus" which is a bright look at womanhood.

"Young Man in America" reaches for territory seldom occupied in modern folk. It is first and foremost an album of the times. "Young Man" speaks to now, 2012, in a unique way. For someone like me, of contemporaneous age with Mitchell, it has added weight. It resonates with its musical simplicity and is buoyed by Mitchell's unique voice. It follows in the best traditions of American folk. Simply put: This is an amazing album and you should buy it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Album of the year June 16, 2012

By Brad James

Format:Audio CD

This is exactly the second review I have ever written, but this album is so strong I just have to say something. I came upon this album, and Anais Mitchell, completely randomly, and did not know anything about her when I heard this album. I was immediately blown away. Afterward, I couldn't believe that it was really that good, but upon second and third and fourth listen my appreciation of it only deepened. This is quite simply the best and most inventive album I have heard in quite some time. Anais Mitchell's vocal creativity, the originality of her material, the fascinating instrumental and vocal arrangements - it all adds up to one of those albums that leaves you asking "Where have you been all my life?"

My favorite songs are Dyin Day, Tailor, and You Are Forgiven, but every single song is a gem. The last female singer-songwriter I reacted to so strongly was Joni Mitchell (her secret relative? haha) and her Hejira album a long time ago. Will be buying copies for friends...